England's Edsel Records, responsible for reviving so much of
Hoyt Axton's catalog in later days, likewise reissued
Free Sailin', his 1978 MCA album, on CD. Although it produced no hits and has only a few originals, it's a strong album that touches on country anthems ("Honky Tonk Music"), vintage country (
Carson Robison's "Left My Gal in the Mountains"), and another of
Axton's many drug-related songs ("Them Downers"). Because of the brief running time it would have been nice if
Free Sailin' had been issued as a two-fer with
Axton's other MCA album,
Snowblind Friend (also available on CD from Edsel), but it's worthwhile to have the album available again in any form. ~ Greg Adams